D'Angelo Russell Not Expected to Join Wizards

Anthony Davis was the unquestioned headliner of the Washington Wizards' high-profile exchange with the Dallas Mavericks, but he was far from the only moving part in the trade.

While salary filler made up for the meat of the Wizards' outgoing package, the Mavericks sent plenty of hypothetical guard-play over to D.C. to keep the 10x All-Star company. Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum and, most notably, D'Angelo Russell were each making big changes of their own as members of the blockbuster deal.

Washington Wizards Guard D'Angelo Russell and Forward Anthony Davis — Mar 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) and forward Anthony Davis (3) celebrate against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The oft-injured Davis was always doubtful to factor into the 2025-26 season, especially while the Wizards' protected draft pick hangs in the balance. He won't be seen on Washington's bench anytime soon as he continues his rehabilitation process in Dallas, though, and as it turns out, similarly-excused absences apply to most of those former Mavericks.

Exum, who'll miss the remainder of the season amidst recovering from a knee surgery, was waived over the weekend in cutting his expiring contract short. And as Wizards' General Manager Will Dawkins announced to a scrum of reporters hours later, Russell would also not be expected to report for duty in Washington.

pic.twitter.com/1ZytfHUjGZ
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) February 8, 2026

What Will the Wizards' Lose in Russell?

Russell, a one-time All-Star for his contributions with the Brooklyn Nets all the way back in 2018-19, diminished in value before breaking back out as a complementary tough shot-maker with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers during the early goings of the 2020s.

Ever since that second Lakers stint ended, though, he's been thrown into several trades, most recently getting shipped across the country following an unimpressive half-season stop in Dallas. There, he sat out for 16 of his final 17 games in a Mavericks uniform, unwanted in their rotation thanks to some grotesque shooting splits and inexcusably-bad defense that's only continued to plummet.

While Dawkins and co. figure out what to do with the final year and a half remaining on Russell's admittedly-cheap contract, the Wizards will be left with a skimpy rotation that may soon feature Hardy, the lone Davis sidekick who's made the trip to the Wizards' pine, and questions as to whether the Wizards are really losing much in missing out on D'lo.

Jaden Hardy, in the black puffer standing behind Trae Young, is here with the Wizards. No other member of the Anthony Davis trade, which includes the absent D’Angelo Russell and the recently-waived Dante Exum, can say the same. pic.twitter.com/eKxczIOL8k
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) February 8, 2026

He'd have been a fitting tank commander over the season's back half, an unapologetically-aggressive point guard with the passing and shooting chops to make the scoring a bit more interesting, but his lack of ancillary skills would have caught up to him fast on a team built on defense. He'd have soaked up some of the vacant lead ball-handling minutes left open amidst Trae Young's own recovery process, but it would appear that his time as a Wizard, like Exum, will end before it starts.

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